Ricadonna’s

Congo was an Africa conuntry. It was ruled by the Belgians initially and was given independence in 1960. POlitical party

were formed in the process of the country heading to

independence. Despite the Congolese’s lack of experience in

civil service, Congo was granted it’s independence from

Belgium.

Kasavubu appealed to the UN for help,
The UN attempted to help them without getting the new nations

 from the rivalry between the cold war super powers from

spilling over into the country. Dag, the Secretary General of

UN at that time wanted to use force to calm the Congo unrest.

The USA supported the UN as it wants to prevent the spread of

the USSR influence in Congo and spread it’s own sphere of

influence in COngo.USSR also wanted to support the UN, so

USSR would be seen as protecting Congo from the external

power from invading to Congo.However it’s motive was also

similar to USA’s motive, USSR also wanted to gain influence

in Congo’s government.

The cold war was affecting the UN peacekeeping negatively. As UN’s actions seems to be supporting the Kasavubu during the period where Hammarskjöld lead the UN in Congo Peacekeeping. USSR provided Lumumba with weapons thus made peacekeeping efforts more difficult than usual. Thus, caused an obstruction to the UN’s effort to calm the unrest in Congo.

Zi Xin’s ,

  Congo Crisis was the period whereby there was a series of political arguements in the First Republic of  Congo right after independence from Belgium.Cold War was the state of tension, hostility, competition and conflict between the East and West as well as the differences between communism and capitalism.I agree to a small extent that the UN peacekeeping was effective during the Congo Crisis in 1960.

In the July 1960s, UN military step in in attempt the resolve the problem upon requests by the Prime Minister Lumumba. The reuests by Lumumba was that Belgium troops to be removed and UN will to provide military support to the Congolese army so as ‘to meet fully their tasks’. Te Prime Minister then threatened UN if they do not want to render help to them, then Congo would turn sides and seek Soviet Union for help.  

Although later on, UN manage to step in and support the Congo forces, the Secretary General felt that the secession of Katanga was an internal matter of the Congolese and UN was forbade to intervene frm an article of the United Nations Charter. After the death of Lumumba, UN authorized to use force aiming to justify military operations to end the secession of Katanga.

By the end of August 1960s, UN launches the Operation Rumpunch. The operation was used to disarm Katangan troops, to capture the military asstes of the troops as well as arrest all the foreign mercenaries who formed the core of the Katangan gendarmerie. The operation being successful was then stopped by the Belgian in Elizabethville, as they persuaded the local UN officials he would complete the operation.

 UN then continued by launching another operation known as Operation Morthor( Hindi for “smash”) at the start of September. The aim was similar to Operation Rumpnuch, tp arrest all the foreign mercenaries and also political advisors. Operation Morthor was a political and military fiasco. Although originally, Opration Morthor was just an arrest operation, however, it turn into a open warfare, where there were blood shed on both sides. Katangan then pre-warned UN for them wanting to gain control of the situation. Even though the UN manage to capture certain areas and arrested the Vice president, but due to miscommunication as well as confusion over the katangan radio that the presidential palace was never secured and Tshombe, the president of the secessionist of the Katanga was ableto escape.

 At the end of the first day of the operation, the UN special representative announced over Katangan radio that the secession was at an end. This statement was premature and caused controversy because the UN was not specifically mandated to end the secession, only to prevent civil war and remove foreign mercenaries. In the midst of September, Tshombe manage to escape. Then reports of UN atacks on civillian installations came from Elizabethville and caused anger in Europe.

In fact, the 1960 Congo Crisis was an episode of the ethnic features and differences of communication styles resulting to the conflict, all these due to misunderstandings, or communication breakdown between Lumumba and Hammarskjoeld.

background.

With such chaos ensuing, Lumumba appealed to the United Nations for help. The Security Council created an army to restore law and order to the Congo. It numbered nearly 10,000 troops. It was given four tasks:

Restore law and order and maintain it. Stop other nations from getting involved with the crisis. Assist in building the nation’s economy Restore political stability.

The United Nations force was only allowed to use force as a means of self-defence and it was not allowed to take sides between the government in Leopoldville and the government of Tshombe in Elizabethville.

Almost immediately, things went wrong for the United Nations force. Lumumba asked the United Nations to use the military force to crash the power of Tshombe in Katanga. Dag Hammerskjöld, Secretary-General of the United Nations, refused permission for this. Lumumba immediately accused the United Nations of siding with Tshombe because of Katanga’s rich mineral reserves. He also accused the United Nations of siding with the rich European companies that mined the region.

Lumumba’s anger at the United Nations failure to act against Katanga, lead to him asking the USSR for help. The Russians provided Lumumba’s government with military equipment that gave him the opportunity to launch an attack on Katanga. This attack failed and President Kasavubu dismissed Lumumba and appointed the chief of the Congo’s army – Colonel Mobutu – as the new Prime Minister. Lumumba set up a rival government in Stanleyville in the east of the country. However, his murder by mercenaries removed him from the problem. Through all of this the United Nations could do nothing as it had agreed not to take sides and only to fire in self-defence.

For the first six months of 1961, they were four groups that claimed to lead the Congo:

1) Mobuto’s government based in Leopoldville

2) Lumumba’s supporters based in Stanleyville

3) Tshombe’s ‘government’ in Elizabethville, Katanga and

4) A breakaway ‘government’ in Kasai province lead by King Albert Kalonji – though it was a self-appointed title!

Lumumba and Kalonji’s groups both had weapons off of the Russians and the country by the summer of 1961 seemed to be on the verge of implosion. A vicious civil war seemed a real possibility.

The United Nations up to this point had not done a great deal to bring stability to the new nation. In response to the crisis, the Security Council gave permission for the United Nations army based there to use force to prevent a civil war occurring. This was not needed as in August 1961, three of the four parts met to form a new parliament in Leopoldville that was to be lead by Cyrille Adoula. The only group that was not part of this was Tshombe’s Katanga.

Adoula asked the United Nations to provide military support for an attack on Katanga as he made it his first task to remove Tshombe, as he believed that while Tshombe was effectively in charge of Katanga, the Congo would never have peace. In August 1961, 5,000 United Nations troops launched an attack on Katanga. Though they captured key points in the province, they did not get Tshombe as he had fled to Rhodesia.

The United Nations itself was thrown into some chaos when Dag Hammerskjöld flew to Rhodesia to see Tshombe. However, the United Nations Secretary-General was killed during this trip when his plane crashed. He was replaced by U Thant who agreed to another attack by United Nations troops on Katanga in December 1961. As a result, Tshombe agreed to meet Adoula to discuss issues. The talks lasted for nearly a year and achieved very little. In late 1962, the United Nations force in the Congo attacked Katanga again. This lead to Tshombe fleeing the Congo and In January 1963, Katanga was re-united with the rest of the Congo.

Was the work of the United Nations in this crisis a success?

Many believed that it had fulfilled its four objectives. The country had not descended into civil war; Russia had been kept out of a sensitive area in Africa; the Congo was kept as a whole by the end of 1963 and political stability had been achieved. Also the United Nations had taken responsibility for the humanitarian programme needed in the Congo. Famine and epidemics had been avoided by the use of United Nations sponsored food and medical programmes.

However, not every nation was pleased by what the United Nations had done. Russia, France and Belgium refused to pay their part of the $400 million that was needed to pay for the cost of the Congo operation. This nearly pushed the United Nations to bankruptcy.

Those nations that had supported the United Nations were also critical of some parts of what the United Nations did. The role of Dag Hammerskjöld was criticised as it was felt that he had over-reached his authority regarding what the United Nations could do and what it could not. Supporters were also wary of the fact that the United Nations had taken sides in an effort to bring peace to the Congo.

Question.

Qn: How did CW affect peacekeeping during the Congo Crisis in 1960? To what extent was UN peacekeeping during the Congo Crisis effective?

1.Intro, thesis statement / gorup’s stand on the issue

2.Causes of conflict.

3.Cw n impacton the conflict.

4.Extent of UN’s effectiveness in peacekeeping.

 

Introduction: thesis statement, group’s stand on the issue

Causes of the conflict

UN involvement in the conflict

Cold War and impact on the conflict

1. Brief introduction on Cold War
2. US’ interest in the area of conflict and actions taken
3. USSR’s interest in the area of conflict and actions taken
4. Impact of Cold War on the conflict

Extent of UN’s effectiveness in peacekeeping

1. Why UN was effective (Reason + evidence o be provided)
2. Why UN was ineffective (Reason + evidence o be provided)
3. Overall, was UN effective? Why? 

Introduction: thesis statement, group’s stand on the issue

Causes of the conflict

UN involvement in the conflict

Cold War and impact on the conflict

1. Brief introduction on Cold War
2. US’ interest in the area of conflict and actions taken
3. USSR’s interest in the area of conflict and actions taken
4. Impact of Cold War on the conflict

 

1. Introduction: thesis statement, group’s stand on the issue
2. Causes of the conflict
3. UN involvement in the conflict
4. Cold War and impact on the conflict
5. Brief introduction on Cold War
6. US’ interest in the area of conflict and actions taken
7. USSR’s interest in the area of conflict and actions taken
8. Impact of Cold War on the conflict
9. Extent of UN’s effectiveness in peacekeeping
10. Why UN was effective (Reason + evidence o be provided)
11. Why UN was ineffective (Reason + evidence o be provided)
12. Overall, was UN effective? Why?

I am kinda blind,

HAHAHAHHAHAHHH

Can you guys post with BIG fonts?

Thanks!

😀

-Ricadonna.

Cold War to Congo Crisis.

    1)Thesis:

    Congo Crisis(1960-1965) was a period of hardship, and another battle for the superpowers,after Belgium grant Congo independence.This crisis at various points had the characteristics of anti-colonial struggle, a secessionist war with the province of Katanga, a United Nations peacekeeping operation, and a Cold War proxy battle between the United States and the Soviet Union where 100,000 people died.It proves the way how the UN , and the superpowers play a role in the crisis. ONUC, the UN Operation in the Congo (French: Opération des Nations unies au Congo) was in Congo from July 1960-June 1964 to oversee the withdrawal of the Belgian colonial administration from Congo. During the transition the mission was to help maintain law and order and provide technical assistance as required.The mission was extended to prevent the secession of several provinces, prevent civil war, and remove foreign military forces from the country in what is known as the Congo crisis.It also marks a traumatic setbact to the United Nations following the death of Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld in a plane crash as he sought to mediate.As part of the 30 yrs plan,Congo was set free, with the insistance of the superpowers ,from Belgium though Belgium was reluctant.Thus Cold war affect the peacekeeping during Congo Crisis and UN peacekeeping during Congo Crisis was effective in fulfiling their task where needed.

2)Causes of Conflict:

The first cause of conflict was the armies of Congo taking action after state independence.Immediately on 1st wk of July,the army rebelled and throw away,mutinied against the white officers which previously led the congolese army and thus more attacks launched against the Americans living there.This caused the Belgian govt to react fast and send paratroopers over:this was an illegal act as Congo was an independent state thus the Belgian was so called invading into Congo’s premises.

Such problems were made worse when the mineral-rich area of Katanga in southern Congo was declared independent by Moise Tshombe who lead the people in Katanga.

Belgian made athe conflicteven harder to resolve where demanded a more decisive ending – they wanted Lumumba delivered into the hands of his sworn enemy, President Tschombe of Katanga.

3)UN Involvement:

Organisation des Nations Unies au Congo, abbreviated ONUC, (English: The United Nations Organization in the Congo) was a UN peacekeeping force in Congo that was established after UN SC Resolution 143 of July 14, 1960.

The Security Council adopted resolution 143 (1960), by which it called upon the Government of Belgium to withdraw its troops from the territory of the Congo. The resolution authorized the United Nations Secretary-General to take the necessary steps, in consultation with the Congolese government, to provide that government with the necessary military assistance until it felt that, through its efforts with the technical assistance of the United Nations, the national security forces were able to meet their tasks fully. Following Security Council actions, the United Nations Force in the Congo (ONUC) was established. To carry out these tasks, the Secretary-General set up a United Nations Force, which at its peak strength numbered nearly 20,000.^[1] The Force stayed in the Congo between 1960 and 1964, and was a peacekeeping force, not a military force. The blue helmets could use their arms only in self-defense. However, they eventually became actively involved in suppressing the attempted secession of Katanga.

The first troops reached Congo on 15 July, many airlifted in by the United States Air Force. This caused an immediate calming impact. The troops began to occupy the area and the withdrawal of Belgian troops was completed by September. Dag Hammarskjöld was successful when he tried to negotiate a pacific interference of the ONUC in Katanga.

Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, dissatisfied with Dag Hammarskjöld’s refusal to use UN troops to subdue the insurrection in Katanga, decided to attempt an invasion of Katanga on his own and turned to the Soviet Union for help. The invasion attempt never reached Katanga but led to dissension within the Central Government, the collapse of the Central Government, and eventually to Patrice Lumumba’s arrest in December. After the withdrawal of the Belgians, the troops remained until 1964, to help the government to maintain the peace and consolidate the independence of the country. In the end, Katanga remained a province.

In February 1963, after Katanga had been reintegrated into the national territory of the Congo, a phasing out of the Force was begun, aimed at its termination by the end of that year. At the request of the Congolese Government, however, the General Assembly authorized the stay of a reduced number of troops for a further six months. The Force was completely withdrawn by 30 June 1964.

Although the military phase of the United Nations Operation in the Congo had ended, civilian aid continued in the largest single programme of assistance undertaken until that time by the world Organization and its agencies, with some 2,000 experts at work in the nation at the peak of the programme in 1963-1964.

4)Cold War & Impact:

The U.S. played a major role in converting the newly independent Congo into a cold war battleground. In 1961, the Eisenhower administration authorized the murder of Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, who had been voted into office just months earlier in the territory’s first-ever democratic election. Washington, which then installed Mobutu in power and kept him there for more than 30 years, bears heavy responsibility for the disastrous economic conditions, massive corruption, and suppression of human rights in Zaire. The U.S. prolonged Mobutu’s rule by providing more than $300 million in weapons and $100 million in military training.

With the end of the cold war, the U.S., France, and Belgium formed a “troika” designed to pressure Mobutu to move toward democracy. This effort might have produced more positive results had not France defected to support Mobutu and the Hutu military dictator in Rwanda, Juvénal Habyarimana, in defense of French language and culture, supposedly threatened by “Anglophone” Uganda and its Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) protégés.

Lumumba asked the UN to use ONUC to attack Katanga. However, it is not the part of the UN to attack another state and so they refused to forcefully unite the breakaway province with the rest of Congo. Lumumba was running out of options to achieve his dream of a united Congo and so asked the USSR for help. Anxious to gain a foot-hold in Africa (and, subsequently, an advantage over the USA) the Soviet Union gladly equipped Lumumba’s forces with Soviet transport planes. In August 1960 Lumumba’s forces attacked Katanga themselves but the attack failed.Lumumba’s supporters remained in their stronghold north of Stanleyville, backed by the USSR even after Lumumba assasination.

5)UN Effectiveness in Peacekeeping:

Belgian troops were withdrawn.

Foreign intervention was prevented and Soviet forces and advisers were withdrawn from Eastern Province.

The Congo was successfully reunited.

The economy was maintained up to a point and the UN trained the Congolese to be new administrators.

Order was re-established despite ONUC being constantly under attack from the other factions.

UN officials successfully trained Congolese doctors, engineers and teachers.

Public services such as hospitals were reopened.

They averted a humanitarian disaster by preventing a famine in the Kasai Province of the Congo.

UN managed to get stability in Congo by 1964. But France and USSR angered at role of UN and many felt that Dag Hammarskjöld, UN Secretary-General, had exceeded his authority.

The UN moved too slowly, however, which prompted Lumumba to ask the Soviet Union for aid. This move alarmed the United States, who assigned a CIA agent to kill Lumumba and install Joseph Mobutu as Congo’s military leader. Lumumba was actually executed by Mobutu’s forces in 1961, which prompted the Cuban government to send in fighters to aid Lumumba’s supporters. By 1965, however, Mobutu seized control of the country and ruled as dictator until 1997. What began as a transfer of power from an imperial nation to an elected prime minister of an independent nation became a Cold War conflict that provoked an international response.

The USSR, Belgium and France refused to pay their share of the cost of the UN operations in Congo because they disagreed with their actions. The USSR claimed that the UN was being biased towards the West. Belgium also had other interests in the Congo including the mines and the fact that it was supporting Tshombe in Katanga.

Certain member states of the UN had openly defied its ruling and actually went against the action taken by the UN. Belgium refused to give up its hold on the Congo which made the UN’s work much more difficult and the USSR also backed rebel forces. This failure to support the UN seriously undermined its authority as it showed that when the will of the UN was contrary to that of member states, the UN could be ignored completely.

Though there were many criticism about UN being uneffective,UN was effective in carrying out the purposeful plans that they thought was important to the point that even the Secretriat-General lost his life while fulfing his duties.They did not side with any of the party and remained focus to make sure that they make the parties invoved not overblow the conflict even further.Eventhough the superpowers had their own plan on carrying it out in Congo to win the other,UN still tried their best to solve the problem.All they could not do was to keep the figure of the numbers of people who died as minimum as possible.Thus,UN was effective to a certain extent where they achieved some of their objectives.

Background info on Congo Crisis..shaqirah

The people involved in this crisis from 1960-1964 are:

–Tshombe, president of secessionist Katanga province.

-Kasavubu, president of newly independent central government of Congo.
-Lumumba, premier of the above (and enemy of Kasavubu).
-The Belgian government and Belgian mercenaries.

-The United Nations (pushed by the US).

-USSR to assist Congo through arms and military resourses.

Congo was a colony of Belgian until June 30,1960 where it declared Congo an independent state but only allow 5 month for Congo to prepare itself for independence eventhough Belgian knows that Congo was not capable of it.The independent Congo Republic was declared on June 30th, 1960. Its Prime Minister was Patrice Lumumba and its president was Joseph Kasavubu.

Immediately on 1st wk of July,the army rebelled and throw away,mutinied against the white officers which previously led the congolese army and thus more attacks launched against the Americans living there.This caused the Belgian govt to react fast and send paratroopers over:this was an illegal act as Congo was an independent state thus the Belgian was so called invading into Congo’s premises.

Such problems were made worse when the mineral-rich area of Katanga in southern Congo was declared independent by Moise Tshombe who lead the people in Katanga.